Sad loss to SSC

Wed, 15 Jul 2009

IUCN, Gland, Switzerland (14 January 2005) – SSC is sad to announce that one of its most active and dedicated members, Claus Reuther, has passed away. Claus was Chair of the SSC Otter Specialist Group and dedicated his life to the protection of otters and their habitats.

He created and lead during 25 years the Aktion Fischotterschutz, and later the German Otter-Stiftung. In 1987, he initiated the Otter-Zentrum, which has been visited by more than 1.5 million people. He also undertook a lot of international and regional conservation work.

A passionate otter conservationist, he never lost sight of the importance of human involvement and always promoted human well-being as an integral part of conservation programmes. The President of the Aktion Fischotterschutz, Professor Janssen, summarised the feelings of many when he said “We will all miss Claus very much and we extend our deepest sympathy to his family. The best way we can honour his memory is to continue his admirable work with the same dedication and enthusiasm.”